The Eleventh Commandment

by Mary F. Burns

A True Story that Reads Like Fiction

In 1856, young Moses Shapira entered the Jaffa Gate of old Jerusalem, determined to make his fortune any way he could. By 1872, he was widely recognized as the foremost antiquarian dealer in Europe. Tourists from around the world came to his shop in the Street of the Christians. Museums fought to buy his Moabite figures and pots, excavated with the help of Bedouin tribes, deep in the caves above the Wadi Mujib in Moab.

In 1883, he revealed his greatest find—sixteen strips of hand-inked, leather-like documents—3,000 years old. They told an earlier version of the Last Words of Moses to the Hebrews: what became known as the Book of Deuteronomy. But this version had an extra commandment: Thou shalt not slay the soul of thy brother.

He offered them to the British Museum for a million pounds. The London papers could talk of little else than “The Shapira Scrolls” for three months. But were they authentic? Everything hung on the judgement of two scholars, Christian David Ginsburg, a friend to Moses, and Charles Clermont-Ganneau, his arch-enemy. By the end of the summer, both men declared the scrolls were a forgery, and Moses Shapira left London in disgrace.
Six months later, he was found in a shabby hotel in Rotterdam, a bullet through his head.

But was it suicide, as the police seemed to think—or was it murder?

John Singer Sargent and Violet Paget face their most perplexing case yet, as they become involved in investigating the death of Moses Shapira—and determining the fate of the Shapira Scrolls.

375 pages, Paperback

Published March 12, 2022

About the author

Mary Burns’ debut historical novel J-THE WOMAN WHO WROTE THE BIBLE was published in July 2010 by O-Books (John Hunt Publishers, UK). Her second novel, PORTRAITS OF AN ARTIST about the 19th century portrait artist John Singer Sargent, was published by Sand Hill Review Press in 2013. This was followed by her Sargent/Paget Mystery series: THE SPOILS OF AVALON, THE LOVE FOR THREE ORANGES, and THE UNICORN IN THE MIRROR. #4 is on the way! Other literary novels include EMBER DAYS, OF RIPENESS & THE RIVER; and a non-fiction literary essay/exploration "Reading Mrs. Dalloway".

BLOGS: Literary Reviews Blog and Portraits of an Artist and
Sargent-Paget Mysteries

Ms. Burns was born in Chicago, Illinois, grew up in the western suburb of LaGrange, and attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where she earned both Bachelors and Masters degrees in English, along with a high school teaching certificate. She relocated to San Francisco in 1976 where she now lives with her husband Stuart in the West Portal neighborhood. Ms. Burns has a law degree from Golden Gate University, has been president of her neighborhood association and is active in citywide issues. During most of her working career she was employed as a director of employee communications, public relations and issues management at various SF Bay Area corporations, was an editor and manager of the Books on Tape department for Ignatius Press, and has managed her own communications/PR consulting business as well, producing written communications, websites and video productions for numerous corporate and non-profit clients.

Reviews

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is John Singer Sargent? He was an American expatriate portrait artist, very popular in his time.

Who is Violet Paget or Vernon Lee? She was an author of supernatural fiction, known for dozen volumes of essays on art, music, and travel.

John Singer Sargent and Violet Paget are the protagonists of The Eleventh Commandment by Mary Burns. The story is about the true account of Moses Shapira, a Jerusalem antiquities dealer and Semitic artifacts, most known for the Shapira Scrolls. He was also known as the alleged forger of these same scrolls. These scrolls were a set of leather scripts that were depicted as ancient biblical artifacts. Because of the shame of being called a forger, which he denied, led him to commit suicide. Or did he? Was he murdered for the scrolls? This is a mystery that will never be solved.

Mr. Sargent and Ms. Paget decided that they need to investigate his death. Their investigation encompasses what happened prior to Shapira's death with clues piling up that could possibly change the course of history. The scrolls are wanted by many people. Who are the bad guys? Why do they want the scrolls so badly that they would resort to murder and theft?

The Eleventh Commandment is the fourth mystery that takes the mystery of the Shapira Scrolls and the fictionalized sleuths, Mr.Sargent and Ms.Paget. An interesting take on the mystery of the scrolls and where are they now? The scrolls were real but not known its authenticity or value. I am sure that that is a mystery in itself. Who has them?

I found that Moses Shapira was a well-educated man who firmly believed in what he had discovered. I found him to also be a sad individual. Away from his loving family, trying to prove that he was not a forger. Then commit suicide. Heartbreaking for sure.

I learned a lot from the story, also that the author did impeccable research and portrayed the characters to be real.

I give the book 5 stars and hope to read more by the author!

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the John Singer Sargent/Violet Paget Mystery series. The amateur sleuthing pair of artist John and writer Violet, who wrote under the name Vernon Lee, make a great combination. These lifelong friends are drawn into an archaeological mystery when John receives a package from an acquaintance, Moses Shapira. Shapira had recently been accused of promoting a fake manuscript of the ten commandments, with an eleventh commandment added! Is the package of leather strips that John received an original, or is it a fake? Not long after receiving the package, John and Violet learn of a suicide that could actually be a murder. In alternating chapters, we follow Moses Shapira as he discovers and tries to verify the manuscripts, and Violet and John as they investigate a possible murder and the origin of those same artifacts. This book can be read as a standalone.

The duo of John and Violet as amateur investigators is delightful. Their friendship and Violet’s insight make for an entertaining read. Their travels revolve around the arts and their investigation. Violet is an excellent narrator, and the book includes snippets about her work and John’s paintings. The fact that they were real-life friends who traveled extensively makes the books even more authentic. The mystery is intriguing and multi-layered. With Moses, we travel with Bedouin guides into the deserts of the Middle East, searching for treasures. With Violet and John, we visit Rotterdam and search for clues into a mysterious death. This is a captivating and multi-layered mystery with absolutely endearing main characters.

I received a free copy of this book from Word by Word Press via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

[Melissa Sarikaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. I had the pleasure to meet Mary at a conference and I'm glad I got to know the author and her work.
Violet Paget/Vernon Lee is a quirky whole-hearted character. The mystery she solves with her loyal friend John Singer Sargent is suspenseful. I really enjoyed the back and forth between the investigations conducted by Violet and the flashbacks to Moses Shapira whose body was found in a hotel room. Mary did excellent research on this book! Her mentioning of the people of the nineteenth century are accurate and the Shapira Scrolls really existed. Stunning to read!
However - and this is why I gave this book a 4-star-rating - at times the pacing is a bit slow and some of the side characters (Myriam, and the antagonists - no spoilers!) are too simple-minded while other rather irrelevant notes (who knows whom, what they're eating, who's drinking wine again) are quite page-filling. I think these bits add to the atmosphere of this historic setting, yet I didn't particularly enjoy this wordiness (personal preference - no offense Mary!).
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy books in the style of Dan Brown's writing, or are a scholar of that period yourself. Thank you for this pleasant read Mary!

[Elise Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her fourth mystery in the Violet Paget-John Singer Sargent series, author Mary F. Burns has given us yet another edge-of-the-seat experience. The Eleventh Commandment is a page-turner, not through plot alone, but through the vividly portrayed, engaging characters, and on every level, the high quality of the writing. The famed 19th century artist Sargent and writer Paget (aka Vernon Lee) are the brilliant, amateur sleuths who are drawn into the fate of Moses Shapira, a resident of Jerusalem and a scholar and dealer in middle eastern antiquities. This story is based on the well-documented history of the scrolls Shapira assessed as the “first Deuteronomy”—including the controversial “eleventh commandment.” Throughout, Shapira proves himself to be learned and adventurous, while dedicated to his family and career. His friends and enemies are thoughtfully drawn, and we quickly take Shapira’s part! Violet and John and their sidekicks’ natural banter during their investigation adds a warm humor to the proceedings. Highly recommended for lovers of both history and mystery!

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being intimately familiar with the story, as I have extensively researched Moses Shapira and the scrolls. I find this work of fiction an interesting novelization of the story. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. The author borrowed heavily from her sources. For the novice it makes an interesting cozy read.